Amid intensifying politics in Assam hours ahead of voting, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has clarified his stand on beef consumption, suggesting there is no problem in eating beef, but wants it restricted to private spaces.
The remarks mark a departure from his previous statements, where he warned beef eaters of legal action and vowed: "not to spare those who eat cow meat".
Muslims eat beef. There is no prohibition on it...There is a big community of Muslims in Assam who eat beef. We don't tell them not to eat. We just tell them to eat it inside their houses. Don't eat at any public place," Biswa told reporters.
Opposition attacks BJP
The chief minister's remark has led to a political controversy with several parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party and the Samajwadi Party, attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the BJP and urged people to "remove BJP and protect cows".
Arvind Kejriwal's AAP hit out at the BJP, saying "‘Mother Cow’ is just an electoral gimmick and a tool for riots and unrest."
